Portal gear for model vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11207975-B2
Application number	US-201816481360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A portal gear and a method to implement a portal gear for a model vehicle are provided. The portal gear may include a drive shaft attached to an input gear and an axle attached to an output gear. The portal gear may further include a housing to vertically contain the input gear and the output gear. Wherein the drive shaft transfers a rotational torque from an upper location to a lower location via a gear reduction resulting from the input gear rotating the output gear.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portal gear for a model vehicle comprising:
a drive shaft rotatively coupled to an input gear via a universal joint;
a first and second input bearing rotatively supporting the input gear;
an axle coupled to an output gear;
a housing configured to vertically contain the input gear and the output gear;
wherein the drive shaft transfers a rotational torque from an upper location to a lower location via the input gear rotating the output gear; and
wherein the universal joint is within one of the first or the second input bearings.

2. The portal gear according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a portal hex coupled to the output gear;
wherein the portal hex is configured to transfer the rotational torque to a model vehicle wheel.

3. The portal gear according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an inner portal housing and an outer portal housing.

4. The portal gear according to claim 1 , wherein the portal gear comprises a steering arm connection.

5. The portal gear according to claim 1 , wherein the portal gear ratio is 2.56:1.

6. The portal gear according to claim 1 , wherein the portal gear ratio is in a range of 2.25:1 to 2.75:1.

7. The portal gear according to claim 1 , wherein the portal gear ratio is in a range of 2:1 to 3:1.

8. A portal gear for a model vehicle comprising:
a drive shaft rotatively coupled to an input gear via a universal joint;
a first and second input bearing rotatively supporting the input gear;
an axle coupled to an output gear via a pin connection;
a first and second output bearing rotatively supporting the axle;
a housing configured to vertically contain the input gear and the output gear;
wherein the drive shaft transfers a rotational torque from an upper location to a lower location via the input gear driving the output gear; and
wherein the universal joint is within one of the first or the second input bearings.

9. The portal gear according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a portal hex coupled to the output gear;
wherein the portal hex is configured to transfer the rotational torque to a model vehicle wheel.

10. The portal gear according to claim 8 , wherein the portal gear ratio is 2.56:1.

11. The portal gear according to claim 8 , wherein the portal gear ratio is in a range of 2.25:1 to 2.75:1.

12. The portal gear according to claim 8 , wherein the portal gear ratio is in a range of 2:1 to 3:1.

13. The portal gear according to claim 8 , wherein the portal axle is configured to be rotatively fixed to a model vehicle wheel.

14. A method for transferring torque via a model vehicle portal gear, comprising:
coupling a driveshaft to an input gear via a universal joint;
supporting the input gear with a first and a second input bearing;
coupling the model vehicle portal axle to an output gear;
engaging the input gear and the output gear;
driving the input gear with the drive shaft to provide torque to the model vehicle portal axle;
wherein the input gear is located substantially vertical relative to the output gear; and
wherein the universal joint is within one of the first or the second input bearings.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein a gear range between the input gear and the output gear is from 2.25:1 to 2.75:1.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein a gear range between the input gear and the output gear is from 2:1 to 3:1.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the model vehicle portal axle is rotatively fixed to a portal hex.

18. The portal gear according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first and a second output gear bearing rotatively supporting the axle.

19. The portal gear according to claim 1 , wherein the input gear has a smaller radius than the output gear.

20. The portal gear according to claim 8 , wherein the input gear has a smaller radius than the output gear.

Assignees

• Traxxas Lp

Inventors

• Wood Jonathan Scott
• Allmendinger Otto Karl

Classifications

• B60K17/043 Primary

  Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel · CPC title

• B60B35/124

  of the helical or worm type · CPC title

• B60B35/001

  Axles of the portal type, i.e. axles designed for higher ground clearance · CPC title

• B60K17/06

  of change-speed gearing (B60K17/10 - B60K17/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16D43/2028

  with at least one part moving radially between engagement and disengagement (F16D43/208 takes precedence) · CPC title